You may add 100-120 baht if you want the taxi to take the motorway or the elevated speedway. The advantages are: you need one hour less and it is a much more secure way to reach Pattaya

The only problem is to find the right cab but if you follow our instructions here under it should be easy.

First forget Thai Limousine or the Airport taxis, they are much more expensive that the Bangkok Taxis but there drivers are maybe better and the cars almost new.

Second: never accept any kind of proposition to drive you in a private car or an unofficial taxi (exception: see a few line downwards).

Now how to proceed?

When you have had your passport stamped and have picked up your luggages, you will go through the custom gate (there should not be any problems: Thai custom officers don't annoy tourist as long as they don't look too suspicious). After that, you will reach the main arrival hall.

The public taxi's (TAXIMETER) can be found on the 2nd floor level, on the right side. There is a small sign indicating

Near the door you will find the counter of the Bangkok public taxis. It is here that you should order your taxi.

And remember:

1. Rent a cab only from an official counter.

2. That the Bangkok Taxis are easily recognizable by the fact that there are the only one to carry on their roof a lighted sign with written or "TAXI" or "TAXI-METER". They also are painted in very vivid colors (mostly 2 colors).

3. Unless you are a young woman traveling alone, don't be afraid if after having left the airport, your taxi driver get out of his way, take a small lane, stop in a garden before telling you that his cab is not in order and that you have to change cab and show you to a car with no sign and normal license plates.

Explanation: He is putting you in the cab of one of his fellows taxi drivers from Pattaya who are not allowed to charge at the airport for the way back. It is one of the reason why the fare is so cheap between the airport and Pattaya. The other reason his that a lot of taxi drivers enjoy spending a few hours in the resort.

Most of Bangkok taxis are now with taxi-meter but meters are almost never used for long distance trips and you will have to go back to the old bargaining procedure to negotiate the fare.

1.300 to 1.500 baht is a fair transaction.

Remark: as the taxis at the airport, these taxi drivers may want to transfer you to a Pattaya Taxi. The most common transfer spot is a gas station at the entrance of the highway..

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You can also come with a bus.

There are two large bus stations. The first one and the nearest from downtown is Ekamail ( Sukhumvit Road, Soi 63)  and you have an Air-con bus to Pattaya every 30 minutes for just 90 baht (this station can be reached by subway).

The first leave at 5.30 and the last one at 9.30 p.m.

The Northern Bus Terminal (Morchit) is closer from the airport and you can reach it by taxi. First bus: 4.30 AM, last 8 PM. One every 30 minutes. Fare 94 baht.

The bus will arrive on North Pattaya Road, near Sukhumvit Avenue. The Thai Airways shuttle arrives on the 3rd Road near North Pattaya Road but a little. There, you should take a taxi or bath bus as they are known here in Thailand (the blue pick-ups with 2 rows of seats) and ask for Beach Road, Soi 3, North Pattaya. The price for this short trip: 40 Baht.
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But if you forget our instruction in Thai language, your taxi shouldn't have difficulties to find us, but if he doesn't, tell him that we are in the Soi just in front of the "Big C"

From and to Chiang Mai - Chiang Rai - Mai Hong Song - Udon Thani - Nakhon Ratchasima - etc... there are at least one air-con bus a day to reach Pattaya (leaves mostly late in the afternoon and arrive early in the morning). Those buses station in Pattaya is located on Sukhumvit Road, in front on the Central Pattaya Road.

You can also flight back to Bangkok from almost every large city or main tourist resorts.

As of today, the only flight direct to Pattaya (U-Tapao) is the flight from Bangkok Airways from and to Ko Samui or Phuket.

Leaves Ko Samui on Tuesday, Friday and Sunday at 09.50, arrives at U-Tapao at 10.50. The flight back leaves at 11.20 and arrives at 12.20.

Price one way: 1.890 Baht (much less than from Bangkok)

In Ko Samui you can catch the next flight to Phuket which leaves at 2 PM. Price one way: 1.530 Baht.

Note: Pattaya as the chance to have a micro-climate with much less rain than any other seaside resort in Thailand. Hence it's popularity... Backbiters use to say that the hotel owners from Pattaya are so wicked that they even succeed to corrupt the sky..... we don't mind as long as the sun stays shin-ning almost 320 day's a year.